SpaceX is set to launch the US Space Force’s secret X-37B robotic spaceplane on Monday, December 11th. The liftoff is scheduled for 8:14 p.m. California time from pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center, followed by a second launch of a Falcon 9 rocket with 23 Starlink internet satellites from pad 40 at Kennedy Space Center.
The Falcon Heavy, the most powerful operational rocket from Elon Musk’s company, will propel the spaceplane into orbit. CBS News reports that this rocket is capable of generating more than 2.2 million kilograms of thrust upon takeoff, and its importance lies in the possibility of marking the shortest interval between two American orbital flights in several decades.
This launch marks the first time that the Falcon Heavy has been used in a mission with the X-37B, making it the first time the X-37B is launched by this powerful rocket. Built by Boeing, the X-37B has been the subject of various theories due to its secretive nature in both its operational capabilities and use.
Despite reports denying the viability of the vehicle as an in-orbit weapons system, the lack of information about its operability and the specific missions it performs has led other countries, particularly China, to interpret it as a sign of militarization of space by the United States.
Experiments aboard the X-37B include advanced technologies such as converting solar energy into microwaves, which aligns with the US Space Force’s mission of tracking the activities of adversary spacecraft.
The X-37B will also operate in “new orbital regimes,” a term that could include exploration beyond low Earth orbit, entering areas of shared gravity with bodies like the Moon. The vehicle, operated by the Pentagon’s Rapid Capabilities Office for the US Space Force, also serves as a testbed for advanced avionics and sensors and provides a platform for experiments that can be returned to Earth for analysis.